‘Mangalsutra' clue made Sonam Raghuvanshi a prime suspect
The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya was unravelled after investigators found a mangalsutra and a ring left behind in a suitcase by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, at a Sohra homestay, Meghalaya Police said.
The ornaments became the first crucial lead in what turned out to be a chilling case of contract killing, allegedly masterminded by Sonam and her boyfriend.
Raja, 29, and Sonam, 25, who had recently tied the knot in Indore on May 11, reached Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. The couple vanished on May 23 in Sohra, East Khasi Hills, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village. On June 2, Raja's body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. The search for Sonam concluded when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on June 9. Police also arrested her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, along with three contract killers allegedly hired by Sonam to carry out the murder.
Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang revealed that a breakthrough in the case came when police recovered a mangalsutra and a ring from the suitcase Sonam had left at the Sohra homestay.
'A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case,' Nongrang said.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the couple had arrived at the Sohra homestay on May 22 without prior booking and were unable to secure a room. They left their luggage at the property and planned to trek over 3,000 steps to reach Nongriat village, famous for its double-decker living root bridge. The couple spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early on May 23. After trekking back to Sohra, they collected their scooter from a parking area and rode toward Weisawdong Falls.
It was at this location that Raja was allegedly murdered in front of Sonam by the three hired assassins.
A tour guide later informed police that he had seen the couple accompanied by three Hindi-speaking men while trekking back from Nongriat to Sohra, a detail that significantly aided the investigation.
'All the accused have admitted to the crime, and with all the evidence gathered, there is no room for denial,' the officer added.
The police on Wednesday also said that all five accused have confessed to their roles in murdering Raja.
A court in Shillong has since remanded Sonam, her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers to eight days of police custody as the probe into the gruesome murder continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Anybody here speaks the language of trauma?
Child Welfare Committee . The Child Welfare Committee must ensure that victims are supported by people who can communicate with the children in a language they understand — Former Bengaluru District CWC chairperson Bengaluru District CWC Several minor survivors of sexual violence under the POCSO Act are unable to access counselling in Bengaluru due to language barriers, especially among migrant children from other states. NGOs working closely with survivors say many of these children, particularly those from Bengali-speaking families who have settled in the city, are left without trauma support as most available counsellors do not speak their native the(CWC) being tasked with the responsibility to follow up on such cases and ensure proper psychological aid, families say counselling is rarely provided. BM spoke to multiple survivors and families who reported no follow-up from authorities and no access to counselling services, even after repeated visits to the CWC key issues highlighted were the language barrier and an apparent lack of seriousness in providing counselling support. Many families are left struggling as their children continue to suffer mentally and psychologically, with growing fears about the long-term impact on the victims' one such case, a nine-year-old girl who was raped has yet to receive any form of counselling. Her family, after failing to get support in Bengaluru, returned to West Bengal hoping she could be counselled in a language she understood. However, according to the family, no counselling was arranged there either.'We went to the CWC office in the city, but language was a major barrier. So, we travelled to Kolkata hoping things would be better there, but no one seemed to care. They told me to get my child counselled in our hometown instead,' a family member of the victim told BM. 'I explained that I feared people finding out about what happened and requested that the counselling be done in Kolkata itself, but they refused,' the relative added.'There is a lack of seriousness from the system. Several victims, especially Bengali-speaking children, continue to go without any psychological support,' a source familiar with the case many survivors and their families have switched off their mobile phones, fearing exposure and social stigma if their identities are revealed. Sources also pointed out that in numerous POCSO cases, families are either pressured into silence or voluntarily withdraw complaints due to concerns over the victim's future. A significant number of these withdrawn cases involve migrant families, highlighting deeper systemic gaps in both rehabilitation and access to justice for child survivors.'The CWC must ensure that victims are supported by people who can communicate with the children in a language they understand. If the committee fails to provide that, it's simply not acceptable,' the former Chairperson of thetold BM. 'Earlier, we worked in association with language-based groups to bring in volunteers who could help counsel minor victims,' he said, which according to the victims now doesn't seem to exist anymore.
The Print
5 hours ago
- The Print
One of accused in Raja Raghuvanshi murder case had rented flat in Indore after killing
Raja's body was found in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra area (also known as Cherrapunji) of East Khasi Hills district on June 2. A probe that began on May 23 after Raja disappeared in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya zeroed in on his wife Sonam, who was held from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, and her alleged aides Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi and Akash Rajput. Indore, Jun 13 (PTI) A property management businessman in Indore on Friday claimed that one of the accused in the sensational Raja Raghuvanshi murder case had rented a flat from him here a week after the killing. 'Chauhan met me on May 30 and rented a flat in Dewas Naka for Rs 17,000 per month. He signed a contract and also gave security deposit of Rs 34,000. I handed over the keys to him but I am not sure he or any of his companions came there,' Shilom James, a property management firm owner, told reporters. 'The flat is locked and the keys are with its tenant. The building in which the flat is located is new and does not have CCTVs as yet. I had informed police about Chauhan renting this flat,' James claimed. Raja and Sonam got married on May 11 and had left for Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. PTI HWP MAS BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Lost in translation: Witness statement in Hindi gets drug case accused acquitted
Chennai: A crucial narcotics case in Chennai fell apart after the prosecution submitted a key witness statement in Hindi — without any Tamil or English translation — leaving the court unable to understand the contents. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The court acquitted the accused, Nag Narayan Prasad from Kolkata, citing a lack of admissible evidence. The case began with the seizure of 4.6kg of hashish hidden inside 38 sheep-like toys in a courier parcel intercepted at Aramex, Ekkatuthangal, in March 2021. The parcel, booked under a West Bengal sender's name, was flagged as suspicious during X-ray screening. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officers confirmed the contraband using field test kits and collected samples before launching an investigation. The accused was arrested based solely on statements from Ranjith Singh, a courier operator in Chennai, and U Ismail of Dil Express who allegedly linked him to the consignment. However, Singh's statement, filed only in Hindi, had no translated version annexed. The judge, S Govindharajan, said this made it impossible "to come to the conclusion whether there is something available against the accused". Crucially, neither Singh nor Ismail was examined in court. The court also found that no contraband had been recovered from Prasad personally, and that his name appeared in no airway bill, manifest, or booking document. The prosecution relied heavily on a photograph-based identification without conducting an identification parade. Adding to the lapses, CCTV camera images from a Chennai hotel where the accused allegedly stayed were submitted without the mandatory digital certification under the Evidence Act. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The hotel manager, considered a key witness, was also never examined. The court concluded that the case lacked a legal chain linking the accused to the drugs and held that the investigation had failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Prasad was acquitted, and the seized narcotics were ordered to be destroyed after appeal timelines lapse.
